PLATE LXXXVI 



INDIAN PEAFOWL 



Pavo cristaUis Linnaeus 



Peafowl have been familiar to mankind ever since the Phoenicians brought them from India to the 

 Pharaohs of Egypt. Throughout history we find them praised for beauty, accused of vanity and dreaded 

 by the superstitious ; while they, on their part, accept man and captivity v/ith the disdain and unadaptability 

 of the aloof race of cats. 



In the colour of their plumage they vie with the most gorgeous of birds, and in their courtship and 

 display they afford one of the most remarkable sights in the world of life. No matter how often we see these 

 birds, we should never allow ourselves to become blind to the marvels which they present. 



